Virtually every guy out there wants to have an amazing well chiselled six packs - However, it turns out that not everyone ends up achieving this goal. There are series of mistakes one could make when it comes to training your six packs. With this article, you stand a chance of learning the mistakes some people do make when it comes to abs training.
Understanding The Core
'The Core' also known as 'torso', involves the rectus abdominis (abs), lower/middle back muscles, internal/external oblique and the pelvic muscles. It is basically the central part of a human body which determines most of your daily activities like bending, twisting, standing, stabilizing the body and last but not least, lifting weights.
Mistake 1: Performing Crunches To Burn Belly
This is one of the most common myths of all. Performing crunches to burn belly fat is the most crazy thing to do. If you really want to shred belly fat, then cut down your calorie intake. Mind it, training your abs for hours will not give you a flat tummy. However, cutting down on you calories by limiting the amount and the type of food you eat, is the first step into building good abs.
Mistake 2: Not training abs enough
There are quite a number of people who spend several minutes to hours, working out their abs while some don't do anything at all. Both the approaches are incorrect. Abdominal muscles are similar to other muscles and need rest and recovery as well. Training abs twice or thrice a week would be an optimum split. If you train abs regularly, you might end up entering the over training zone that might not turn out well for you on the long run.
Mistake 3: Missing The Mind And Muscle Connection
While training abs, especially during crunches, it is really important to contract your abs properly. While performing a crunch, most people think that they are training their abs whereas they involve their hip flexors predominately. In order to train your abs precisely, one should perform crunches without involving their hip flexors. For this, avoid doing a full crunch i.e. your lower back should not go off the floor. This will compromise your crunch range, but scientifically it is the safest and most ideal range for your rectus abdominis workout.
Mistake 4: Not Adding Resistance to Abs Workout
As mentioned above, abs are similar to other muscles and like any other muscle, even they grow based on the progressive overload protocol. If you can easily perform 20 and above repetitions in your ab workouts, then it's time to add some resistance to that particular exercise.
Mistake 5: Going On A Crash Diet To Get The Shredded Look
There are lots of people going on a crash diet just to get a shredded core. However, it actually becomes a counterproductive practice. Your hard earned gains go for a toss on a prolonged crash diet. Moreover, you also mess up your metabolism. As a result, the moment you start eating normally, the lost weight bounces back and very quickly. Therefore, always consume a balanced diet that will help you shed fat while preserving muscle mass.
